Re: Fixing SKR's Feat Point System

Originally Posted by SSGoW

In regard to Two Weapon Fighting line. The only classes that really benefit from using two weapons is classes with extra damage dice such as Rogues. I could see the point of lowering the cost since most people who take it won't gain the full benefit from the feat.

As an afficionado of Rogues, I have to disagree with you: Two-Weapon Fighting is a very bad choice for the class.

Feats are precious to Rogues. Given how few feats a Rogue can get there are always going to be better choices than TWF, so it's not worth considering with the standard cost of 1 feat. With the FPS cost of 8 points that prices TWF higher than most other feats, so it's still not worth considering. (Since the feat doesn't create any new possibilities and only provides a benefit in a limited context ─ i.e., when using a full attack action ─ it's hardly worth 8 points, but that's another consideration.)

At best TWF will lead to -2 penalties to all attacks, or -4 if using a non-light off hand weapon. But Rogues start with only 3/4 BAB. Additional attacks are useless if they're just additional misses. Remember the First Rule of Sneak Attack: If you don't hit, your sneak attack damage is zero.

As noted, TWF can only be used with a full attack. Full attacks necessarily allow full enemy counterattacks. With class abilities severely penalized when wearing anything more than light armor and only d6 hit dice, Rogues are too squishy to make this a viable tactic.

Superior combat feat choices include Snap Kick (a bonus unarmed attack with any sort of melee attack, including not only full attacks but also standard action attacks, attacks of opportunity, and bonus attacks such as from Improved Trip), Knowledge Devotion (bonuses to both attack and damage based on Knowledge skill checks), and Craven (bonus to sneak attack damage scaling with character level). Pretty much regardless of the cost, Two-Weapon Fighting is a bad choice for Rogues.